LARGER FLOOR TILES MAXIMIZE A DESIGN

Allison E. Beatty. Special to the TribuneCHICAGO TRIBUNE

Ceramic floor tiles have come a long way since the one-inch squares that filled many vintage Chicago bathrooms.

As styles and trends changed, tiles grew to four, six, and eight inches. Today, eight-inch tiles are common in many foyers and bathrooms in new housing developments priced below the custom market. Design-savvy buyers are fueling another trend, however, as they look for bigger and bigger tiles.

In houses priced upward from $400,000, many buyers are moving toward 12, 13 or 16-inch tiles.

"If you look at builders' model homes in the higher price ranges you very rarely will see them put in 8-by-8 inch tiles," said Gail Forlani, design coordinator for Palatine-based Insignia Homes, which is building homes base-priced from $340,000.

Instead, they are showcasing larger tiles in natural stone and earth tone designs. The focus is on creating more drama without as much interruption from the grout lines. The larger tiles also are easier to clean because there is less grout.

"Most people don't like a lot of grout, so the idea of seeing less grout is very appealing," Forlani said.

"People are going after a certain look," said Mike Calame, owner of Patrick's Interiors in Buffalo Grove. "They want something different than what they had five to ten years ago when they bought their first home."

Large ceramic tiles sell at retail stores for $3 to $8 each, depending upon the size, pattern and texture. Natural stones, such as marble, sell for $20 to $25 for a 12-inch-by-12-inch section.

In new homes priced for the first-time buyer, ceramic tile typically is priced as an upgrade. It often becomes a standard item in foyers and bathrooms when the house price reaches around $250,000.

Buyers are adding large tiles in one room, such as a foyer or bathroom, to create a focal point. They also are using them in a connecting room, such as a foyer, kitchen or breakfast room.

Tile designs have moved away from the high gloss tiles seen during the past decade to focus on earth tones and those that mimic natural stone. Instead of a high gloss white tile in the foyer, home buyers are looking for a cream tumbled marble or a slate tile with a raised, textured surface.

"Five to 10 years ago ceramic tile was shiny and now everything has a matte finish and it looks like natural stone," Calame said.

Among the natural stone designs, the most popular are limestone and slate, Forlani said. The tiles project the image of a rich, natural material that can blend well with current styles in cabinetry and plumbing fixtures.

Those who use tiles with neutral tones often accent them with more colorful or decorative tiles to add some individuality to the space.

This is particularly true in master bathrooms, where buyers often select large tiles and use the same one on the floor and along the walls of a shower, she said. This creates a dramatic design that makes use of horizontal and vertical space in the bathroom.

While large tiles are not as costly as natural stone, this product upgrade can cost several thousand dollars from a builder, depending on the type of tile and the size of the room.

"A really nice master bathroom will be $6,000 to $7,000 for the tile-- that's for the walls and floor," Calame said. "If you're doing listels and any decorative trim you're going to add a couple of grand to that."

There also are ceramic tiles made in 18-inch squares, but they are not as popular as the 12-, 13- and 16-inch sizes, according to several sources.

Because of their size, 18-inch tiles can be more costly to buy and install. Buyers sometimes prefer to switch to porcelain tiles or natural stone in those cases, Forlani said.

A recent buyer, for example, spent $50,000 adding 18- by 18-inch and 12- by 12-inch porcelain tiles in a 3,000-square-foot house built by Insignia Homes in Long Grove. The tiles were added in the kitchen, three bathrooms and a powder room. In several rooms, they were used on both the walls and floors.

When deciding whether to add large tiles to a space, consider the size and shape of the room and the layout of cabinetry. A kitchen with an island, breakfast nook and several sections of cabinetry may appear too cluttered with large tiles on the floor, Calame said.

Instead, look for open floor plans and a room with at least 250 square feet for 12-inch tiles; 350 square feet for 16-inch tiles; and 400 square feet for 18-inch tiles, he said.

There are exceptions to those guidelines, however. Some designers turn to large tiles in small spaces as a way to make the room appear larger.

"The 16 (inch tile), even in a small 10-by-10 kitchen, will make the space look larger because it stretches the space," said Bill Proctor, director of dealer development for Krengel & Associates, a Chicago-based manufacturer's representative for Wood Mode Cabinetry.

Many consumers are using large tiles in the kitchen to create a more personalized design. The large tiles also can play tricks on the eye.

A person will look at a floor filled with 8-inch square tiles and see a checkerboard running down the floor. They will look at 16-inch tiles and focus more on the design, as there is less grout to interrupt the view, he said.